Abstract:
The job embeddedness construct is a totality of forces that act as a web of
attachments to mitigate employee turnover. This view has gained support from
research by Holtom, Mitchell and Lee (2006) but further research is needed to
expand our understanding of the concept. In this article the applicability of mission
attachment as a fourth dimension of job embeddedness is tested, thereby adding
to our understanding of the construct.
Data from 134 (trade union) and 30 (comparison group) respondents were
analysed quantitatively and it was found that within a social organisation such as
a trade union there is a strong, consistent and positive ranking between mission
awareness and organisational job embeddedness. The results also show that the
different dimensions of mission attachment had a significant impact on employees
in the trade union sample. An additional finding was that employees in the trade
union sector who are highly attached to the mission of the organisation tend to be
those who have been employed in that sector for a relatively short period and that
mission attachment declines over time.